Working out cycle days

[ILoveAnAgathaChristieMurder]

Hello, I'm looking to have some help tracking my cycles. I've been 27/28 days for a few months. I'm using natural planning method and it's worked fine. I already have 2 DS' and it wouldn't be end of the world to get pregnant just not right now hence using this method.

My issue is this month on CD 22 I started getting some spotting only on the tissue nothing on pants. This continued everyday literally a little bit on tissue until CD 27 where I had a proper period for 1 day. Then next day back to spotting. Day after nothing.

I started a new diet workout regime 2 months ago and wondered is that what caused this month but not last month to go a bit weird?

I need to know when to log my CD1. What do you think?

Have you taken a pregnancy test just to rule that out? x

Yes this afternoon negative. It would have been very clear if I was so I doubt the early spotting was a real period.

I've often had breakthrough type bleeds whenever I've starting losing a large amount of weight in a short period of time (2lb per week). I think I read it's something to do with oestrogen being stored in fat cells. Once you start burning the fat cells it causes a spike in oestrogen and messes with your cycle.

I don't know exactly what effect it has on ovulation or cycle timing unfortunately as I've never been tracking at the time, but if you've made large changes to your diet and started exercising a lot it could definitely explain the bleeding.

It should settle down once your body gets used to the changes but I appreciate that still doesn't help you with CD1 this time round.

Perhaps buy some OPKs for this month and use a barrier method and/or abstinence until a few of days after a positive? Or even better (if wanting to avoid pregnancy), barrier methods all month until your next proper period?